


SCIENCE!

by DigitalThespian



Series: Permutations [4]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Poetry, Robotics, Science, Time Loop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:55:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28307877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DigitalThespian/pseuds/DigitalThespian
Summary: Maru issureher mom isn't cheating with the farmer; and if her dad won't believe it, she'll just have to find out for herself.
Relationships: Maru/Male Player (Stardew Valley)
Series: Permutations [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2073213
Kudos: 6





	SCIENCE!

**Author's Note:**

> As usual, if I missed any tags, let me know!

Emily looked around in confusion. Why was she..? This was.. had she just had a three-year long premonition, or vision?

It was a lovely one, she supposed. She walked outside, looking around in wonder. It was like any other day; if it wasn't for the calendar, she would have never known. But she had changed her hair during the vision, cutting it much shorter, and it was back to how it was three years ago, or.. now..?

She shrugged. She was going to miss that goofball, but at least if it was a premonition she had a lot to look forward to, she told herself. It was that or break down and cry, and she had things she needed to do!

..There would be time enough for crying later.

* * *

Abigail and Robin walked back from the farmhouse. "Do you think Emily Remembers?"

"I would assume she does, but how do we ask?"

"I guess we just keep an eye on how she acts?"

* * *

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, I just.. it feels like he spends a lot of time with her, that's all."

"I mean, they do live really close together, are you sure he's even with her specifically? Marnie and Shane live out there too."

"Hey, Shane," Emily called. He grunted to acknowledge he had been addressed, and she continued. "Do you see the farmer often?"

"Only here; he's hardly ever at Marnie's, and he doesn't go to Joja Mart."

Emily looked back at Abigail. "See?"

Abigail nodded. "Alright." She looked over to Gus. "Hey, Emily's shift ends here soon, right?"

Gus nodded. "Yeah, why? You need her help for something?"

She nodded again. "I had something I wanted to talk to her about, but yeah."

"Go on ahead, Emily." Gus beamed, laughing easily. "I can handle closing up today; thanks to the chili recipe the farmer shared with me, I only needed the one pot, so there's not nearly as much to clean."

"Oh—okay; thanks, Gus!" Emily followed Abigail out, walking out of the saloon, and then out of town; all the way to the end of the pier. Emily looked concerned. "Why are we coming all the way out here? Is it serious? Is everything okay, Abigail?"

Abigail laughed quietly. "It's just a private matter. But I should be asking you that; after all.. I've done this already."

"Done.. what already?" Emily blushed. "Wait, do you like girls too..?"

"I— _what_?! I mean—maybe? I don't know?!" Abigail waved her hands in front of her face. "Not what I meant! I'm flattered you feel comfortable telling me that, but not what I was going to talk about."

Emily tilted her head. "Then.. What were you going to talk about?"

There was a brief silence, the two staring out over the choppy ocean. Abigail laughed to herself; the grey skies certainly matched the melancholy feeling in her chest. "..what's Kaleb's favorite movie?"

"Huh?!"

"What's Kaleb's favorite movie."

"Wha—why would I know that?"

"Ocean's Thirteen."

"What—"

"Favorite color?"

"I—alright, fine, I'll play along; green."

"Favorite animal?"

There was a pause. "I don't know that one."

Abigail smiled to herself. "Fox. Red foxes, specifically."

"How—why do you know that? Do you guys hang out way more than I realized?" Emily shifted, obviously uncomfortable. "..Are you like, sneaking out together at night?"

Abigail couldn't help but laugh, and Emily pouted. Abigail shook her head. "I'm not laughing at you, I promise. I just.. I can see why you'd think that, that is pretty in-character for the two of us. He's a bit of a troublemaker at heart. Only a bit, but it's there."

"I don't—I'd say you're messing with me, but this is an awful lot of trouble for that."

"I'm not messing with you. Well, I am a little, but I have a point, I promise. I'm just trying to ease into it."

"Ease into _what_?! Does it have to do with Kaleb?"

"Yeah."

"Oh—" Emily cut off and took a half-step back, clearly not having expected that. "If you aren't hanging out, how do you know all that?"

"Counterpoint: Why are you asking how I know, and not whether I'm right?"

There was a long silence as Emily stared out at the ocean, seemingly caught in some internal dilemma.

"That _was_ a sweet cape."

"Cloak," Emily corrected her without thinking, then stiffened, slowly turning to Abigail. " _No_."

Abigail smiled sadly. "Yeah. I Remember too."

"..Favorite food?"

Abigail laughed. "Chili, _duh_."

Emily shook her head in disbelief. "I can't.. I can't believe this, what _happened_?"

"Time is repeating itself; from the day Kaleb arrives, to the stroke of midnight on the third New Year. Almost exactly three years."

"I—you.. this isn't the first time, that's why you were such good friends."

Abigail let out a breath, a hint of a laugh sneaking out with it. "This is the third loop. I was the.. well, zeroth, I guess."

"..You love him."

"We were going to get married on the first of Spring.. Year four."

"Oh, _Abigail_..!" Emily threw her arms around Abigail.

"Oof." Abigail smiled, hugging her back. "It's.. not okay, but it's manageable. Watching you with him was rough, but I got used to it."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know, I didn't mean to steal your boyfriend..!"

"Emily." Emily looked up, tears in her eyes. "Hey, easy; he doesn't Remember—obviously, otherwise I'd already be married to him—and he's not exactly the same every time, either. He fell in love with you last loop, not me; you know how much adventuring we did." Abigail snorted, a wry expression crossing her face. "If anything, he would have liked me even more than in my loop, but he still fell for you. He chose you, you didn't _steal_ him."

"How are you so sure he's different, though?"

"..because he killed himself in the first loop."

Emily gasped. "Oh _god!_ "

"I don't.. want to talk about it, if that's alright." Abigail shuddered. "I don't know if I'll ever be over it.."

"Tell me about him." Emily immediately changed the subject, and Abigail smiled. "We clearly both love him, why not share stories?"

"We.. probably shouldn't. It's hard enough to avoid letting things slip as it is, and it's absolutely imperative we don't let him know it's happening. Rasmodius told me in the first loop, he only moved away on Spring 1 starting in your loop. He's trying to figure it all out."

"I.." Emily's shoulders fell. "But.. I know you know, and I.. I have no one to share all this with, all these things that are so.. he _changed_ me, Abigail."

"I know, Emily. Me too; you have to have noticed I'm totally different now than I was a year ago, and not the normal amount of different."

"I.. had wondered, yeah. You were already self-assured, but before it was in a 'don't tell me what to do, _mom_ ,' kind of way."

Abigail barked out a laugh. " _Ouch_ , why do you gotta do me like this."

Emily giggled. "..Thanks. At least I know I'm not crazy. And I can hang on to those memories without feeling like a weirdo hanging on to a dream.."

"He loved you. He loved you _so much_. I know this probably doesn't feel good to hear now, but I want to tell you when it's still recent to both of us, so you can be sure looking back. I don't want you to have to doubt how he felt, if it was real. It was. You were _everything_ to him. You and Tybalt, because he loves that cat so goddamn much."

"He really does; you think I should make the little cape again?"

Abigail shook her head. "I wish, but that's just asking for trouble."

"..Yeah, you're probably right."

"Hey; you can always come to me if you need to, okay? I know I said we shouldn't share stories, but I Remember your loop, just not the other way around. And someday I will tell you; just not until we can be sure we won't mess this magic _bullshit_ up."

"Alright. Can.. can I talk about him, for a bit? I know you know, but.."

Abigail smiled. "Go ahead." She laughed, shaking her head. "God knows I understand needing to gush about that boy."

* * *

Kaleb walked out of the backwoods, then tilted his head in confusion when he saw a girl he didn't recognize; given her skin tone, he assumed she must be Maru. She was tinkering with the insides of a strange looking steel.. box?

He walked over, intrigued. "Hey, what are you working on?"

She looked over in surprise. "Oh! Hey, you must be Kaleb!"

"Oh—yeah, sorry, should probably start with that before interrogating you, huh? Yes, I'm Kaleb."

"No, no, it's fine! I'm Maru. And this," she gestured to the box. "Is my latest invention."

"Oooh, aaaah." He grinned. "What is it?"

"It's a flash furnace; if all goes well, it should be able to smelt things in a fraction of the time a traditional furnace would take, and it'll only need electricity, not coal."

"Oh, that's really cool!"

"I certainly think so."

Maru started to turn back to the open panel. "Tell me more." Her head whipped back to face him, a look of shock on her face. "If you want; I can let you get back to it, but I'm curious about how it works."

"..No, I'd love to tell you, most people just don't want to hear about it." A bright grin spread across her face. "Well, the basic design relies on the inherent conductivity of metal, and if I've done this right the process should be self-regulating, since as the impurities get burned out of the ore the resistance will go down, which in theory should reduce the amount of heat produced."

He blinked, thinking a moment, then nodded. "Okay, with you so far. How are you going to put that much current through to begin with, though?"

"I'm glad you asked!" She turned it towards him, gesturing to various electrical components, and a large circular housing—about three feet in diameter. "I have a high-speed iridium flywheel hooked up to the circuit; when the clutch is engaged, it can deliver its entire capacity in about five seconds." She pointed to a thick cable leading back towards the carpenter's shop. "And it charges from the grid, for now, but I'm thinking I might hook up like, a stationary bike and a gearbox to save energy, cause it's a _lot_ of power."

He hummed thoughtfully. "And since you don't want it to run for long anyway, you can get away with a burst of power rather than sustained current."

"Exactly! That's the other half of the self-regulation system." She shut the panel, standing up. "I was just about to test it, actually! Come on!" She grabbed him by the wrist, dragging him behind a plexiglass blast shield. "Okay." She picked up a remote control. "Test fire in three.. two.. one!"

She pressed the button, and a wave of heat washed over them, the machine beginning to emit a faint glow from within. She threw her fists in the air. " _YES_! HA- _HA_ ~! It _works_!"

Kaleb started at the abrupt yell, looking over at her. Her face was lit softly by the glow of the machine, and she wore an expression of manic glee. He felt his face heating up, and he was sure it wasn't just the flash-furnace. She was _beautiful_.

And then the furnace _exploded_ , pieces of steel and circuitry pinging off the blast shield. Maru looked shocked, but then she began to laugh. She looked over at Kaleb. "Welp, time to start over."

Her invention had just _detonated_ with no warning, and her response was.. Kaleb was reeling, not because he was afraid, or off-put, but because he was beginning to realize the woman before him was truly a cut above. A person that a lowly mortal man such as he could never hope to eclipse.

And as if it hadn't done enough already, the furnace's final act of defiance as it left this world was to plunge the entire town into darkness. Every light went out; lampposts, houses, _everything_.

There was a small silence broken only by the last bits of debris raining down. "..holy _shit_." There was another brief pause, and Kaleb heard a small huff of irritation in the darkness. "..dammit, Edison, if you hadn't been such a stuck-up prick and accepted that alternating current is just _better_ we wouldn't be having this problem, but _nooo_."

No two ways about it; he had just met a real life mad scientist. She was incredible in so many ways, and he knew the best thing he could do was stay out of her way and pine from a distance, because after this there was no doubt in his mind that this woman had captured his heart. He was in love with Maru.

He began to laugh.

..He couldn't wait to see what she came up with next.

* * *

"Demetrius, what has gotten into you?"

"What's—Robin, that farmer shows up, and you start acting completely differently overnight!" Demetrius grit his teeth, fighting back tears. "What am I _supposed_ to think?!"

Robin felt her heart clench; this wasn't any easier this time around. But he was right, in a way; how else could she explain it? All she could do was deny she was seeing Kaleb, because she really wasn't, but..

What else _was_ he supposed to believe?

Maru slipped away from the corner, unseen by her parents.

* * *

Maru sat by the biggest tree in the Cindersap Forest, observing. She believed her mom, but if she _was_ visiting the farmer, she'd likely come this way; it wasn't odd for her to go to the forest, and it was more subtle than the main road. While _she_ didn't think her mom would do that, her dad didn't seem particularly willing to listen to assurances. So she would just have to get some hard evidence herself.

"Uhh.. Maru?" She squeaked in alarm; that was Kaleb's voice! "Why are you sitting under a tree with a blank notebook? I mean, you do you, but it's not your usual."

"Oh, I, uh, just wanted a change in scenery, you know?" She laughed nervously.

He nodded. "I get that. What's got you stumped this time?"

"Uh. Well, I, uh." She racked her brain. "I was thinking about some stuff that isn't my usual fare, and.. it.. was bothering me that I didn't know, so I came here, cause this isn't my usual either?"

"Okay." He shrugged with an easy smile. "You didn't actually say what's been bugging you, though; who knows, maybe I can help. I know a lot of random tidbits."

"I.. was wondering.. why is the ocean always cold? Like.. it doesn't freeze in winter, and sure, it's one body of water, but shouldn't it at least have temperature pockets? In the dead of summer it's still cold; _why_? Water is _good_ at absorbing heat."

He laughed. "I remember asking the same question once; you forgot one thing, and that's that while water is good at absorbing heat, it's just as good at _releasing_ it. Any change in thermal energy gets diffused incredibly quickly, and there's a _lot_ of ocean; it goes down for miles upon miles, and that part isn't being affected by the surface weather at all. Plus water can hold a lot of thermal energy to begin with; think about the state chart at sea level."

She blinked. "..Huh. Yeah, I guess that would do it, huh? Thanks."

"No problem! Best of luck with whatever project you tackle next."

* * *

So the forest was a bust. But maybe they met in the backwoods? She set up with a notebook that actually had notes in it this time, and watched.

Just like last time, though, she was looking the other way from where the farmer came from. "Oh, hey Maru. Having another interdisciplinary quandary?"

"Eep! Uh. Yeah, I was.. just kinda.. pondering why we as a species seemingly universally decided to plant crops in rows; why not circles, or any other shape?"

"Uh.. I think that one just comes down to the plow, and the physics of tilling. Doing anything other than a straight line would be way more work, because inertia; but before the plow, maybe they did. I do like, these weird rings around my scarecrows with my trellis crops, so that I can go to the center, water a ring, then move one ring outward, and I don't have to backtrack and cross a bunch of extra distance."

"That's another thing, why do scarecrows even _work_? Crows are super smart!"

He stopped. "..Shit, you're right, why _do_ they work..?" He thought a moment. "I'll look into it, cause now _I_ gotta know. I'll let you know what I find, yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Well, I've got work to do, so I'll catch you later!"

"Later!" He left, and she realized she was kinda disappointed. He was a smart guy, she reasoned. Not many people could keep up with her; it was nice.

* * *

"I know you're there, Maru, you can just come say hi, you know." Kaleb wore an amused grin, and Maru sheepishly stepped out of her hiding place in the ruined greenhouse.

"I was seeing if I could tell what had been growing there back when it was intact."

"I.. had somehow never thought to ask. What's the verdict?"

"..I'm an engineer, so I have no idea." She ducked her head. "In hindsight I don't know what I expected."

He threw his head back and laughed. "Never lose that curiosity, Maru, even if it sometimes means things like this happen."

* * *

Maru shrieked at a sudden sound in the undergrowth. Kaleb's voice emerged, followed by the man himself. "Whoa, easy, it's just me!"

She blushed. "Sorry, I'm just.. The dark makes me scared, I don't know why; I _know_ there's nothing there, there aren't any monsters outside the mines."

"Uncertainty's a bitch."

"Is _that_ why?"

"It is for me; there's probably some hard-wired survival mechanism in there too."

"Huh."

"..So, uh.. Why are you hiding in the bushes?"

"Uh.."

"..If you wanted to see me you could have just asked, you know; I enjoy spending time with you."

"I—that's not—" It's not like she _liked_ him, she was just investigating, and that's all.

"Oh, sorry. I guess that _was_ pretty presumptuous, huh?"

"It's.. fine, it's a reasonable conclusion."

"So what's the latest?"

"..I'm working on a robot."

"No kidding? That's _rad_!"

"Did you just unironically—"

"Yes I did and I will not apologize."

* * *

Maru stared at her desk, Kaleb's words ringing in her mind.

_If you wanted to see me, you could have just asked,_

_I enjoy spending time with you._

.. _did_ she want to? Did she enjoy spending time with him..? She bit her lip.

..yeah. She kind of did. She stood abruptly, marching out of her workshop and out the back door. She walked through the backwoods pass, and it was here she realized her plan so far was 1: Go see Kaleb, 2: ???.

She nearly collided with the man in question, distracted by her thoughts.

"Oh, shit, sorry."

"No, it's fine, that was my fault." She blushed.

He smirked. "You decide to just talk to me this time?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"I'm going to see Marlon to sell him a ring I found in the mines, wanna tag along?"

"..Sure, I'm in. You wanna check out my progress on the robot on the way back?"

"Uh, _hell_ yeah? Your projects are always _so_ cool."

She flushed. "Oh, thank you!"

..Okay, so maybe she _did_ like him that way. Just a little.

* * *

"So, what's the plan today?"

"Well, uh.. I actually wanted to know if I could help with MarILDA?"

"Huh? I mean, I don't have anything.. _against_ it.." She hesitated.

"I know how to code, I can help with that?" He smiled hopefully. "I, uh.. You mentioned the language you were using, so I went over the documentation so you wouldn't have to babysit me through learning the syntax."

"Wha—that was _last week_! You learned an entire coding language in a _week_?"

"I mean.. sorta? I knew coding already, like, conceptually, and I don't know the whole thing, just how the bits go together." He took out a binder with at least a hundred pages. "I brought a function reference guide, since I know I won't remember them all, and I didn't want to count on you having an IDE that could give me that on the fly."

Maru was floored, cheeks tinted red. "..sure, come on down, I'll bring you up to speed." He beamed, and she quickly turned away to hide her blush.

"Thanks! Oh man, this is so cool! I've never gotten to be a part of something like this; I promise I'll stay out of your way, I know you said you don't normally like having people in your workspace, cause they end up slowing you down."

* * *

Maru pinched her brow, putting down a voltmeter next to a still faintly smoking soldering iron. "Ugh, what is going _on_ , I shouldn't be getting interference, where is it even _coming_ from."

Kaleb looked back. "Want me to take a look?"

"..Sure, why not, _I'm_ sure as hell out of ideas."

He poked his head over her shoulder, looking intently at the circuit board. "..Did you try unplugging the soldering iron?"

" _What_?" She blinked, then slapped a hand to her forehead. " _The heating coil_ , of _course_ it was something like that."

He beamed. "Glad to help!"

"How did you even _think_ of that so fast?!"

"Oh, I just assumed the circuit was fine, cause it's you, and that it was 'something fuckin' dumb'; that's my go-to anyway, like, code doesn't work? Check if you're missing a bracket. Computer doesn't work? Try restarting it. Shit like that."

She raised an eyebrow. "'Cause it's me'?"

"Your first test run of your furnace was nearly flawless but for a single oversight, and that was _mechanical_ , it wasn't a circuit problem. You're really fucking good at what you do, Maru."

She flushed slightly. "Thanks." It was just hot, she reasoned.

..who was she kidding.

He thought to himself a moment. "..You know, I should probably brush up on my E&M, it would make hardware integration a lot easier.." He wandered back to his computer, muttering to himself, and Maru stared after him.

He wasn't _actually_ going to re-teach himself electromagnetism.. right?

..Right?

* * *

"Ugh, my brain hurts.."

"What—we started like, ten minutes ago."

"..I _may_ have ended up hyperfocusing last night and tearing through like, six chapters of my old E&M textbook."

Maru was stunned. No. No way, this was unbelievable, it had only been a little over a season since he all but mastered the coding language they were using; there was no way. " _What_?"

"Sorry, I know we were planning to work today, I didn't mean to."

"No, I meant—you said you _quit_ physics because it didn't agree with you."

"The _math_ was what got me, and besides, it was really the undiagnosed ADHD and depression, not the actual content; I just.. like learning, physics is cool."

..Maru could no longer deny it. She had it _bad_.

* * *

"Hey, Kaleb."

"Yeah?" He looked up from his computer.

"Can you come look at this? I need your weird uncanny ability to notice my mistakes."

He chuckled, walking over and poking his head over her shoulder as usual. _Un_ like usual was the blush threatening to make itself known at the proximity. "What's the issue?"

"The current is too high, but I can't find what I did wrong."

He looked a moment, then darted over to a side table to grab a reference chart. He came back, looking between the paper and the circuit board a few times. He set the paper down and scribbled a very messy diagram, writing a few numbers here and there. "..There." He pointed to a resistor. "That one is black-red-green-black, it needs to be brown-red-green-black."

"Wha—that's an actual circuit problem, I thought you—"

"I got through what I needed to do circuitry, and I remember resistance and current being a huge pain in the ass, so I figured it'd be good to have two sets of eyes."

Okay, this was just.. unbelievable. If he was right.. "Alright, I'll switch it out."

He blinked. "..Really? You're.. not going to check my math?"

"I believe you."

He flushed bright red. "..Oh. Wow, that.. That actually means a lot, coming from you."

Something occurred to her, and she didn't like it.

What if he was just doing this because he wanted to date her? She'd heard enough stories from Haley about boys who were only interested as long as it got them the girl.. She didn't want to think he was like that, but..

A minute or so later, she stared at the voltmeter; exactly what it needed to be. He was dead on.

* * *

"Hey, Kaleb."

He darted over as quietly as he could, standing right behind her and hunching over before doing a passable impression of Igor from Young Frankenstein. "Yes, Doctor Jacobs?"

She shot up in the air with a shriek. " _Jesus!_ "

He cackled. "Oh my god, that was not what I expected but I regret _nothing_."

She glowered at him for a moment, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling after a moment, letting out a laugh. "..Okay, that was pretty good; how'd you do that so fast?"

"I happened to see you making that face you make when something escapes you, so I knew it was coming."

"You little shit."

"Guilty as charged, your honor. So; what seems to be the issue?"

* * *

"Maru, look, you've been at this for almost eight hours now, and you haven't slept in twenty; _go to bed_."

"But I'm so close to—"

"I swear, I will carry you out of this workshop if I have to."

She glared at him. "You wouldn't."

"I would."

"Hmph." She went back to work; he had to be bluffing.

She heard him go up the stairs, registering a mixture of smug satisfaction at being right, and disappointment at driving him off.

And maybe that he wasn't going to be holding her, but that wasn't—

She heard him coming back down, and she felt her face flush at how her heart leapt into her throat. _Calm down! It's just Kaleb! So what if you like him, you're strong and independent and you don't get all bent out of shape over a crush!_

And then she felt him wrap an arm around her waist, lifting her out of her chair and throwing her over his shoulder. "Hey! Put me down!" He started to go upstairs. "Kaleb I swear, you put me down right now!"

They exited the workshop, and he put her down on her bed. She realized he'd laid out her pajamas, and she felt her heart flutter. "There. I put you down. Now _go to bed_." He crouched next to her. "I worry about you, Maru. You gotta take care of yourself. You'll get more done if you rest now and keep working later, and besides; I care about you. I don't want you to run yourself into the ground, that's bad for everyone."

"Why is it bad for _you_? Because you don't like dealing with me when I'm cranky, is that it?"

He laughed. "I have no issues accepting the bad with the good. It's bad for me because I don't get to see you at your best. Call me selfish if you want, but you're someone the world should be watching, Maru. And I want to help you make them see you for the genius you are."

That.. is so _cute_ , that is not fair, how was she supposed to refuse something like that? "..fine. I'll go to bed."

"Thank you, Maru."

* * *

Maru's stomach growled loudly, but she ignored it. More accurately, she wasn't paying attention to that; Kaleb wasn't the only one who hyperfocused.

A plate was set down by her elbow with a sandwich on it, and she looked over, blinking at the unexpected boon. "There's a sandwich."

Kaleb laughed. "Sure is. You haven't eaten all day, have you?"

"..how did you guess?"

"Because I _know_ you, Maru. You're like me like that. Plus Robin mentioned she hadn't seen you yet today, so I extrapolated."

"..Thanks, Kaleb."

* * *

"Um.. Maru?"

She looked over to see Kaleb looking very nervous. "What's up? You're _never_ like this, is something wrong?"

"No, I.." He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I wanted to ask you something."

Oh my god, was he asking her out? Shit, she hadn't made a plan for this, what did she do? Should she say yes? But what if..

"I.. we've been working together for almost a year, and.. it's been a blast."

Was he quitting the project?! No, no no no, she _needed_ him! She felt her stomach lurch at her own phrasing.

..She needed him, yes..

"You've made me want to be better, you've given me something to work on that is going to be absolutely incredible, but mostly.. you've let me be your friend."

..But she had to be sure.

"I guess what I'm saying.. This means a lot to me. _You_ mean a lot to me. And I was hoping.. that I mean a lot to you, too."

Now or never. She had to decide. Was she going to say yes, and risk him hurting her, or say no, and potentially hurt someone who cared?

..He was pretty vocal about how girls had the right to protect themselves, he would understand.. right? She could see if he stuck around, and if he did.. she'd come clean about it. That would be fine.. right?

"I'm.. sorry." She winced as his shoulders fell slightly.

He smiled softly to himself. "Had to try, right? I.. I need a couple days. I'll be back, I promise, I just.."

"..yeah."

"Take care while I'm gone, okay?"

"..I will."

..She really hoped she didn't regret this.

* * *

True to his word, he was back after a few days, and while she could swear she saw him looking melancholy a few times, it never lasted more than a split second. Until today. She opened her door to see him talking to Robin with a forlorn expression. She darted back into her room, leaving the door open just a crack to peek out.

"Hey, are you alright? You've seemed kinda down these last few days."

He laughed quietly. "I'll survive."

"So no, you're not okay."

"No, not really. There's not anything anyone can do, though."

"What? _That's_ not like you at _all_."

"..I asked Maru if she was interested in me."

"And she said _no_? I could have sworn that girl is crazy about you!"

"I thought so too, but.. guess we were both misreading things. Don't let on, alright? I don't want her to feel guilty. We have a project to finish." He squared his shoulders, nodding sharply. "And I'm gonna be behind her all the way."

He started to turn, and she quickly shut the door, dashing down into her workshop, hand over her mouth.

_What have I done? He—he **loves** me, and I want nothing more than to give him my heart, but—I—what if I've lost my chance?_

The door opened, and she heard Kaleb's voice behind her. "..Maru? You're just kinda.. standing in the middle of the room, you alright..?" She turned to face him, and his eyes widened. "Oh god, Maru, what's wrong?!"

She laughed once. Even now he was so concerned.. even after _she_ hurt him. "Kaleb.. I lied to you. And I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I.. the truth is.."

He furrowed his brow, giving her a cautious look. "..the truth is?"

"..I heard you talking to mom just now. And.. you were both right. I _am_ crazy about you. But I was afraid you were doing all this to get close to me, so I pushed you away—" She choked back a sob. "God, it feels so stupid to even _consider_ now, but—I thought that if you really l-loved me you'd still be here, and that I could.."

His posture sank, and her heart sank with it. He was quiet a moment, staring sadly at her. "..You have the right to keep yourself safe from people who would try to hurt you." He sighed. "..I'm sorry I didn't do enough to make sure you didn't think of me as one of them. Goodnight, Maru."

He turned, and went up the stairs. She heard quiet voices, and then Robin rushed down in time to see her sink to her knees. "..I ruined _everything_." Robin held her close, murmuring gently to her, but the words didn't register. "..and now he's gone. I.. I pushed away someone I'll _never_ be able to replace."

She stood up quietly, and Robin gave her a concerned look. "Maru.."

"..I think I'm going to turn in early. Night, mom." She trudged upstairs, silently changing into her pajamas and crawling into bed.

..She didn't feel like working anymore tonight.

* * *

She awoke in the morning, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She began to go over her plan for the day.

_Alright.. breakfast, then get the system booted, then Kaleb—_

The events of the night before hit her like a ton of bricks.

_..Kaleb's not coming. The one person who can keep up, and.. I ruined it. I.. it's over._

She trembled slightly, tears prickling the corners of her eyes.

_No. No it's not. I **refuse** , I **won't** let this happen!_

She threw the blankets off, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. She paid them no mind, grabbing a notebook off her bookshelf.

_He made the effort for me. Now it's time to make an effort for him._

She began to write.

* * *

Kaleb rolled over, face pressed into the pillow. It was six am, when he usually got up, and his brain knew that, so awake he was. But it still didn't make him _want_ to get up. Not even Tybalt padding over and sitting on his head made him feel any better. Little shit.

..He loved his furry son.

He had been _so sure_ he'd been careful to make sure he wasn't overbearing, or manipulative, that he wasn't taking advantage.. But apparently not careful enough. It was pretty clear Maru didn't trust him, or at least, that she held some serious doubts. That wasn't the foundation of a good relationship, so here he lay, trying to motivate himself enough to get up and start the day. He knew she was interested, she had said so herself; unfortunately, he had his own trust and abandonment issues, and this wasn't something that could be easily fixed.

He wanted it to be, he really did, because he loved her. He loved her _so much_. She was brilliant, and passionate, and ambitious in equal measure, and he wanted to be a part of what she accomplished. He felt confident in his own abilities as it was; he could only _imagine_ what they could accomplish together. Hell, they had already accomplished more together than he ever would have thought himself capable of. It really felt like they were a couple, and he was pretty sure she felt the same way, but..

..He just didn't know what it would take to ease the doubt her rejection had planted in his mind. "I need to get up. It's gonna be fucking hot out, and I need to go to Pierre's since he's going to be closed tomorrow.." He hauled himself out of bed, sighing before getting ready.

He walked outside, noting that the little solar-powered light on his mailbox was on.

He ignored it; he needed to water his crops before it got disgustingly hot, and he wouldn't feel guilty about ignoring a letter if he didn't know what it was yet. Whatever it was, he wasn't up to dealing with anything beyond 'hey I sent you a recipe', which while nice, wasn't nice enough to make up for the possibility of any of the less nice options.

He watered things, and kicked a few rocks bitterly, before shaking his head. Enough moping aimlessly. It had been a week; he was better than this. He had to keep his life moving. There was a place for grief, but he couldn't let it control his life.

..He'd learned that lesson already.

He strode into town, depositing his tools in a chest on the way by, mail forgotten.

* * *

"Thanks, Pierre. See you.. well, whenever I need something again."

"Are you.. alright? You normally know exactly when you're going to need more seeds."

"I've been planting a lot of wild seed medleys and stuff, and they mature at different rates. So stuff's a little uncertain right now. I guess that's why I'm so out of it, now that you mention it; I'm probably using a lot of thought overhead to handle the uncertainty."

"If it's so problematic, why did you do it?"

"It means I have a _ton_ of foraged stuff stockpiled for later seasons, or recipes, or whatever. It's just useful. I also wasn't feeling up to planning the next batch of stuff, so this gives me an excuse to just.. not for a few days. Relax without feeling like I'm wasting time."

Pierre nodded understandingly. "Well, I hope you feel better soon."

"Me too, man. Me too."

He left the store, and made it a little way down the road before he heard Emily call from behind him. "That was a social lie."

He stopped, turning around with a tired expression. "Yeah, it was."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Want to? No."

"Will you feel better if you tell me?"

"I.. don't think so. Maybe, but I don't think so. Not yet, anyway."

"Alright. Let me know if you need anything, alright? I'm not working today."

"..Thanks, Em. You're the best. I'm gonna go home and pet my cat and break some rocks that are in my way. Those are both good 'feel better' activities, so we'll see."

"Take care, Kaleb."

"You too." He turned back towards his farm, lacking the usual speed to his walk; but no one else was around to notice.

He arrived home, noticing the mailbox light again. "Oh, yeah.." He sighed, opening it and taking out a single, small package.

It was from Maru.

He stared at it for a few long moments, before sighing and going inside. He at least wanted to sit while he dealt with.. whatever this was. He flopped on the couch, and Tybalt immediately hopped up, curling up next to his thigh and purring. "Hey, buddy. You always know when I'm sad and come cheer me up, and I appreciate you for it. Thanks." He pet Tybalt for a bit, then flipped the package over, hooking a finger through the flap and tearing it open. He appreciated that she used plain brown paper, at least, so he could just rip it and not feel bad.

He tossed the paper into a wastebasket, and examined the contents. It was a 'typical' small book; about as long as his hand, and one and a half times its width. It was a plain, dark green cover—his favorite color, he noted, feeling a little pleased she knew the exact shade—with silver lettering for the title: 'Irreplaceable'. No author, strangely.

He furrowed his brow, opening it; he wasn't sure why Maru had sent him a book, but he figured it was a nice gesture. He paused when he noticed the low word density; the first page was a poem, _and_ the second. He turned the page; two more. He turned another page, and another. Every page contained one and only one poem.

That was.. odd, but alright. Maru wasn't big on poetry, like, _at all_ , but she knew he liked poetry as a writer. He wasn't sure where she found the book, or how she'd decided on it specifically, but he wasn't going to worry too much. That was a question for another day.

He flipped back to the first page.

_Tell Me More_

Preparation is to be ready, but

nothing could have ever prepared me

for you.

You walked through the haze of thoughts,

of notes, muttered figures;

You wanted to know what it was,

to know why, how it works;

and I told you.

I began to turn away from you,

(from people, from the world)

but then you said to me:

"Tell me more."

Kaleb was speechless. This.. _had_ to be a coincidence, right? He shook his head. He knew how she decided on this particular book, at least. Hell of a parallel.

_A Second Kindness_

It is dark. It should not be,

but it is.

I feel I am alone. I should not be,

but I am.

Every triumph has its failure.

Every darkness has its light.

My triumph, my failure.

My darkness,

I can't help but wonder

If you are the light

Kaleb nodded approvingly; interesting usage of repetition and negative space. This would be a good read. He was by no means an expert, but he liked seeing new and interesting ideas. He smiled to himself, shaking his head; even now Maru was one of the better parts of his life, even for as much as his sadness centered on her.

_The Natural World_

There are things I do not understand.

Why does the ocean feel cold,

no matter the season?

Why am I scared of the dark;

or _is_ there a reason?

Why do we plant crops in rows,

why do scarecrows, scare crows?

These questions have answers,

they just wait to be told;

But before you..

I would never have seen them.

Kaleb stared at the page in shock; the words wouldn't stay still, and he realized his hands were trembling.

He had told Maru the answer to every single one of those questions, back when she had been lingering around, running into him 'by coincidence'.

It hadn't been a coincidence. And neither was this book. Maru _wrote this_.

..For him.

He started to read in earnest.

* * *

Kaleb turned to the last page, containing the final, titular poem.

_Irreplaceable_

There are things that we know;

that we don't know that we knew.

There are things that we have;

that we don't know we could lose.

I've known a great many things,

about life; about truth.

I've learned a great many things,

about me; about you.

I know how the sun warms us,

how the moon shares its light.

Learned the dance of the seasons;

that things change

overnight.

There are things I once had;

that are no longer to be.

There are things I could have;

but that I may never see.

It is hard to accept them,

when the fault

lies with me.

From all of my losses,

of all the wrongs in my wake;

Your love lay among them,

that I can never replace.

I have lost countless battles;

wounds that I'll never show.

Yet I stand here undaunted,

to be sure that you know:

I will not be defeated,

by my own rash mistakes.

You are the one that I love.

I will do

what it takes.

He let the book plop down into his lap.

Maru wrote him a book of poetry about every kindness he'd ever shown her, every gift he ever gave, and the last poem was about him loving her.

Maru thought that him loving her was a gift great enough to call irreplaceable, and to name a book after.

He pulled out his phone and called Emily. She picked up during the second ring. _"Hey, what's up? You feeling any better?"_

"I am just as off-kilter but now for entirely different reasons. I need help."

_"Oh no, is everything alright?!"_

"Everything is great, but I'm considering doing something really crazy, and I need a reality check. Can you head over? This isn't a phone kind of conversation."

_"Be there soon!"_

"Thanks, Em."

* * *

He handed her the book. "Maru sent me this as an apology."

Emily stared at the book in confusion, then up at him, then back at the book. "What, did you guys have a lovers' spat or something?"

"Sort of?"

Emily's jaw dropped. "I was _joking_ ; you and Maru were a _thing_?"

"Not.. exactly? We weren't official, but we sort of acted like a couple, just without the physical aspect? But then I asked her if she _wanted_ to be a couple.. And she said no. Two weeks later, so like, last week, she confessed that she _does_ like me, but that she was concerned about me taking such a sudden interest in a lot of her hobbies, and wanted to make sure I wasn't like, just putting up appearances."

" _MARU..!_ " Emily was _furious_ , voice rising. "How _dare_ she do that to you?! Was she not paying any attention at all?! You _clearly_ —"

"Read the last poem."

She blinked, her momentum completely halted. "It's a book of poetry?"

"Just read it."

She opened the book, and her eyes slowly widened as she read. "Wow, that's.. okay, decent apology."

"Maru wrote that entire book."

Emily was dumbfounded. "She writes poetry? I had no _idea_."

"That's because she _doesn't_ write poetry, she doesn't even _like_ poetry. But _I_ do. The book's about me. Every single one of those poems is about something I did for her."

"Oh my _god_." Emily handed him the book gingerly. "Okay, I see why you wanted to talk to someone."

"..I love her, Emily. I was upset earlier because I was hurt; because she means so much to me and it hurt to know that she wanted me, but that I couldn't accept that love knowing I wouldn't be able to let myself trust her after what she did. That's no basis for a relationship. I wanted to tell her 'if you only did such-and-such, it would make things right'. I wanted to so _badly_ , but didn't _know_ what she would need to do to make things right. But this.. if this isn't enough to prove to me that she means it, I don't know what is."

"You marry that girl, Kaleb. That," she pointed at the book. "That is _love_. That is the product of someone who realized what they have, and is who is willing to do _anything_ to make sure it doesn't slip away."

He nodded. "Alright. You guys do Mermaid Pendants around here, not wedding rings, right? Where do I get one?"

She blinked, holding up her hands after a moment. "Whoa, just like that? I don't want to like, rush you into this—"

"I called you here because the 'crazy thing' I was thinking of doing was asking her to marry me; don't worry, you only confirmed what my heart already told me to do."

"..Well, there's a legend that says a ghost of an old mariner appears on the beach when it rains, and that—somehow—the ghost will sell you one. They also make replicas; but I know you're not one for half-measures."

"You're right, I'm not. I.. guess I wait for it to rain. Oh boy, this is.. gonna be an agonizing wait."

* * *

Kaleb held his hand up to shield his face from the driving rain. He stared at the figure on the beach, overcoat perfectly still as though there wasn't a _monsoon_ happening. "Well hot damn, you're actually real, and actually a ghost, or some other ephemeral thing that isn't affected by wind for whatever reason."

The old man turned, chuckling. "You're very dedicated, to come here in this storm."

"You're damn right I am."

"May you find happiness together, lad."

"Thank you. We will; there's nothing the two of us can't do. Though I have to ask; what do you even use the money _for_ , you're a ghost."

"I buy another Pendant from the Mermaids. It's called that for a reason, you know. I have no use for money, but they do."

"Huh. You're the middleman. You know, that is a much more mundane and sensible explanation than I ever would have expected. Here ya go; pleasure doing business with you."

"Likewise. Go; your love awaits you."

Kaleb ran off, yelling behind him. "Cheers! Tell the Mermaids thanks, if that's a thing that makes _any_ sense."

* * *

Maru stood under the awning, watching the rain come down in _sheets_. It was oddly peaceful, but she didn't envy anyone who was caught out in this downpour—

" _Maru!_ "

Her head snapped over to see Kaleb, tromping steadily through the rain with a determined—if a bit beleaguered—expression. He took the last few steps at a jog, panting slightly and shaking out his clothes a bit. Maru stared in disbelief for a moment, before collecting herself enough to speak. "Oh my god, Kaleb, what—how did you—why are you _here_ , your house is _that_ way—not that I don't want to see you, I always—"

"I got your book."

Her mouth clicked shut, and she looked away nervously. "..oh."

"Maru; why are _you_ nervous? One, knock it off, that's not like you at all, two, I just showed up in _this_." He gestured to the rain. "How could that possibly be bad? Even _if_ I was mad—which I am _not_ —you know me, there's no way I would go out in this just for the petty satisfaction of being mad at someone."

She relaxed slightly. "I guess you're right, I just.."

"You love me."

"..yeah. I do."

"Good, cause I was gonna feel like a Grade-A dumbass if you didn't." He shifted awkwardly. "See, me, on the other hand, _I_ have a reason to be nervous."

".. _why_? I hurt _you_ ; you did nothing but care for me and care about my interests." She took a half step forward, hesitantly. "You saw there was something you could share with me; and the fact that it was something that required a _college level_ understanding of a discipline you'd _quit_ because it wasn't right for you? That didn't slow you down _one bit_. You always say I'm brilliant, but you're every bit as smart and talented as I am. Most of all, you're kind. You _care_. You took care of me, and were proud of me, and cried _with_ me when things went wrong. You're the man of my _dreams_ , and I shot you down, because I was too afraid of being hurt to trust you; someone who, as far as I know, has never lied to me.. even when it would have been a lot easier. I.. betrayed you. And I'm sorry."

"Well, don't do it a second time, and we'll call it even, yeah?" He took a deep breath, taking out the Pendant. "I can do a bouquet if this is too much for you right now, but.. _my_ mind's made up. Maru— _OOF_ —"

She launched herself at him, and he hit the ground with her cradled in his arms. " _Yes_! Yes, _yes_ I will marry you."

He coughed, groaning. "Oww."

She scrambled off of him. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry, I got excited."

"'S okay." He sat up slowly, looking at her with a smile. "I like that about you. You're like me that way; heart on our sleeves, and all. Also.. I think this is yours." He handed her the Pendant, and she cradled it to her chest.

"Forever and always," she whispered.

"What is going _on_ out here?!" The door opened, and Demetrius stepped into the doorway, then looked at Kaleb. A scowl appeared on his face. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Uh.. that feels like a rhetorical question, like."

Demetrius noticed the Pendant clutched to Maru’s chest, and narrowed his eyes. "First that book, and now _this_?! I can't _believe_ this; why would you waste your time on some _farmer_! I'm disappointed in you, Maru—"

"Hey." Demetrius cut off at the tired tone. "If you have a problem with me, you can take it up with me. That's fine." Kaleb picked himself up off the ground. "But leave her out of this, she's not who you're really mad at."

"If she's proposing to you I think I—"

Kaleb cut him off again. "Wrong. _I_ proposed, because she's proven to me that she's willing to go the distance to make things work if there's trouble between us. And so am I."

"I do _not_ approve of this! You have caused nothing but trouble for this family since you first arrived, I will _not—_ "

"You won't what?" This time Maru cut him off, and he looked surprised. "Won't give me your blessing to marry him? Won't trust me to know what I want? Won't believe me when I told you, over and over and over, that Kaleb wasn't doing anything he shouldn't be? Is _that_ it, _Demetrius_?"

Demetrius was clearly shocked; she had _never_ called him by his first name before, but this wasn't something she was going to let go. "Because if so, fine. It's your life, you can believe whatever you want. Just know that I _will_ die on this hill. So you can draw a line in the sand if you want to; but you will stand there for the rest of time." She put the Pendant around her neck, looking him in the eyes with a defiant expression. "And you'll be standing there without me." She looked at Kaleb—her _fiancé_ —and smiled gently. "Come on, Kaleb. Let's go home." He nodded faintly, looking at her in awe, and she took his hand, before leading him out into the pouring rain.

Demetrius watched them go, unable to say a word. The door opened, and Robin walked out, doing a double take when she saw Maru walking away with the farmer. "Why is she out in this _mess_? What _happened_?!"

Demetrius didn't answer, and Robin took a cautious step towards him, laying a hand gently on his arm. "Demetrius? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"..No, I'm.. I'm not okay." His shoulders shook, a few silent tears running down his face as the gravity of what he had done began to weigh down on him. "..and it's all my fault."

* * *

"Maru, I.. I'm sorry about Demetrius."

She looked at Kaleb incredulously. " _Why_? If anything I should be apologizing to _you_."

"I should have thought about where I asked, then we could have figured out how wanted to break the news to everyone. As it stands, the whole town's going to know within a day, two at most."

Maru marched over to him and took his hands, looking up with a fire in her eyes. "So what? I'm not ashamed." The light from the fireplace glinted off the Pendant around her neck, as if to make her point. "They can talk all they want. It won't change that we've seen each other almost every day for more than a year, and that a lot of those days were the best days of my life. I thought there was no way I could love what I do more than I did already; and then you waltzed in with your weird-ass perspective on problems, and your constant sass, and your uncanny insight on things that I'd missed. I realized I'd always thought having someone else working with me would be stifling, because I'd never met anyone who could keep up. And before I knew it, in my mind, it stopped being 'my workshop'. It was just 'the workshop'; because you belong there just as much as I do."

Kaleb was floored. "..I knew what I was signing up for, but hearing you say that _I_ belong in _your_ workshop made it _so_ much more real."

She pouted. "I _just_ said that it's not 'my' workshop."

"It's in your childhood home; it will _always_ be 'your' workshop. I may have a permanent resident visa, but I was not a natural born citizen."

"Oh my god you're such a _dork_."

"And a good thing too, because that would be weird, cause you'd be like, my sister? Or something? ..This metaphor is starting to break down."

"Ugh, _Kaleb, gross_."

"Okay yeah sorry that was a bit much, even for me." He pulled her close, taking a deep breath. "..God, we're like a couple from the fifties; we're engaged, but I've never even kissed you before."

"You're right, that's weird, and unacceptable." She pushed away enough to grab his collar. "And you should fix that right now."

The tension that had been building between them since he began pursuing her abruptly came to the fore; a tension that had drawn them together even as they had held themselves apart—a charged attraction that was as inevitable as it was undeniable.

He stared at her in awe. "..Have I mentioned that I love it when you get that fire in your eyes? Cause I _really_ love it, it's.. _wow_."

"I appreciate the compliment, and I appreciate you being romantic; but right now I really just want you to shut up and kiss me, because we've both wanted to for weeks, and enough is enough."

A potential that yearned for a closed circuit, a way to break free, lest it overload and burst; just as the furnace had all those months ago—Lightning in a bottle.

Kaleb gently curled his arms around her waist. "As you wish, my dear." He leaned in, and she shivered as his lips brushed gently against hers, just for a moment.

But a single moment is all it takes for lightning to strike.

Maru threw her arms around his neck, pulling herself flat to his chest and pressing her lips to his with the same passion she applied to the rest of her pursuits. He made a small noise of surprise, but quickly matched her intensity.

She spoke between kisses without pulling away, and he could feel her words against his lips just as well as he could hear them. "I have been.. waiting for this.. for _so long_."

He smiled, savoring the way his heart soared to hear her say that. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, you dingus.. just because.. I did.. something.. stupid.." She slowed at this, the next kiss on hold for a moment, her lips close enough that he could still feel their heat. "..doesn't mean that I didn't want you. I wanted you so badly.. and I should have trusted my gut, and you. I know we'll have all the time in the world for this, but.. I can't help but wish I could have done this sooner, that I could have been _with_ you sooner."

"But you're here now, and I'm not going anywhere."

"I know. And I've got the Pendant to prove it." She kissed him again, more sedately. "I love you, Kaleb. You say you don't deserve me, and maybe you're right." He laughed, feeling her smile against his lips. "But whoever's doing the judging can stuff it; the only opinion that matters when deciding who I should love.. is mine. _I_ judged you worthy. And thus it was so."

"You really know how to make a guy feel special." His cheeks were red. "I know that's usually sarcastic, but wow."

"Good." She kissed him again, sweetly. "You are special. I wouldn't marry just anyone after all; and isn't it _you_ who always says that I'm someone the world should be watching?"

"..Yeah." He smiled, and in that moment, he had eyes for nothing but her. "And you will be, if I have anything to say about it. I'm behind you all the way, Maru."

* * *

Maru poked Kaleb in the side of the head. "Hey, hey, hey, no sleeping, it's only a few more minutes."

"..you are the Queen of not sleeping, how do you do it."

"By being amazing, and you love me."

"..true, and true."

The countdown started on the TV, and she pulled him close to her. "Come here, I want to kiss my husband on the New Year, dammit."

"And who am I to deny my darling wife what she wants."

"Exactly." She smirked, and Kaleb laughed. The countdown hit zero, and she pressed her lips to his—

—and started awake in her bed.


End file.
